Follower for file drawers



March 17, 1953 H. w. REGENHARDT FOLLOWER FOR FILE DRAWERS Filed Jan. 27, 195o r.' lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll l IN VEN TOR.

/2 /6 Han.: W Regen/1 a rat follower. nof thiskind having an actuating member that Patented Mar. 17, 1953 l2,631,590 FoLLoWER Fon FILE VDRAWEns Hans W. Regenhai'dt, Wooster, Ohio, assigner to Record Files, Inc., Wooster, Ohio, a corporatiDn Af 'Ohio Application January 27, 1950, serialNo; V140,900

lY Claims.

`*This"ir/ention relates to a Lfollower fora filing compartment or the like permitting the packing El vof material in the compartment; e. g., punch ecards, ina manner leaving no substantial amount offslack'forward of the'follower.

l"With some followers, it is necessary that slack `j-.be'le'ftforward of the follower when the latter "is in operative position in order that the follower, *preparatory to relocation or removal, may be freed by rst pulling or inclining it forward into jtl'ie space so left. y Such followers, which usually VVare of simple construction, are useful where the sacrifice of 'space is not an important consideration. However, where space is at a premium, as "incompartments for storing punch cards that are to be -preserved `as records for a long period of time, it is desirable that the follower be of -a 'type permitting solid packing of the cards in the compartment. `It is a principal object of the inivention to provide a follower satisfying this important desideratum.

' A further object of the invention is to provide la 'follower lending itself to one-hand operation,

f by whichlatter term reference lis had to the series `whose other :hand is holding material taken from VVor to be added to that in the compartment is f enabled to perform unaided all of the acts necessary to introduce, locate, relocate or 'remove the -A further object is to provide a follower is out of the way but instantly available to the endvof facilitating operation of the follower.

Another object ofthe invention is the'provision :of an v'improved follower Awhich embodies av sturdy .locking mechanism to fix the 'follower firmly lin fthe'l .desired v'position-in Vthe compartment. An- -other object is to provide such 'a follower ywhich Yhas ample strength to resist 'the forces imposed Ydescription of apreferred form thereof and from the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is Yaperspectiveof a follower installed in a compartment of the nature of a'drawer of aling cabinet, partsjof the `compartment being .broken away for convenience `in illustration; Figures 2, i3 and l are side elevations, but with :the parts in different `positions, .ofthe follower-.ofEigurejl, ther view in .eachinstance fbeingfrom the left as fthe're lillustrated; and Figure '5 vis an end elevation,

taken from the rear, illustrating the'manner 'in which the follower :is locked in position in 4.the compartment, parts of the front member of the compartment appearing 'beyond the follower -it self.

In the drawing,l a preferred form of 'follower is shown as installed in a compartment It. `The compartment, which in this example takes'the form of a drawer of a filing cabinet, may be 'of conventional construction, comprising, for example, `a suitable back member .(not shownlfa bottom portion yI I, side walls I2, and a front'member I3. The upper edges of'side 'walls I2'v are providedy with inwardly and downwardly extending flanges Ill, thus providing'inverted channels I5 extending along the upper edges of side lwalls I2. This construction strengthensandstiifens the side portions and, as will appear below, ipermits parts of the follower `to engage flangeslll at the'base of channels I5 thereof. Packedsolidly without slack between front member I3 `and follower II is the material `stored' in the compartment, the same taking the rform of punch cards T6.

The follower itself is formed largely of sheet metal. It consists, along with other parts hereinafter described, of an upright web or body portion lgdisposed substantially but'not 'necessarily Vprecisely vertically in the compartment, an'integrally formed beaded and vbent-clown'top portion 20, a rearwardly extending integral bottom flange 2 I, two rearwardly extending `integral "side flanges 23, and, spot-welded to side flanges 2 3, internal reinforcements '24. The latter, provided to add strength and stiffness to side flanges l23, are coextensive with them. "Bottom anges `2l and vside 'flanges .23'e`xtend at right angles'to-body lportion I9 Vandabut or substantially abut at the base of f sideilanges 23.

In fabricating follower I 1, a single piece of sheet metal in the form of a stamping `of suitable shape may be used Vto provide body portion I9, top por'- tion 20, bottomiiange 2l and side flanges 23,'th'e various flanges and other parts being struck Aup or struck down, as required. At an appropriate lstage in the sequence of operations, sidey flanges 23 are lanced and bent to form outwardly and upwardly extending ears 25,r such ears being' lso shaped and located as to permit them to underlie and enter into channels I5 at the upper edgesof sidewalls I2. VAReinforcements 24 have no corresponding lateral `deformation and from ltop vto fbotktom thereof are defined 'by substantiallyvertical planes. As shown in Figures l and 5,top portion 20 is cut away at its ends" at anlangle. asatizila, to preclude anypossibilityfof'interfer- .ence with side 'flanges 23. A

1A'sliort distanceabove the level of `ears 25,1sie

fianges 23 and reinforcements 24 are slotted as best shown in Figure 1, the slots 26 therein being of crescent or arcuate shape, extending forwardly and upwardly as shown in Figure 1 over an angular distance somewhat greater than 90 but less than 180, and, on opposite sides of follower I1, registering laterally with each other to enable them to function in the manner hereinafter described. In large part, but to a greater or lesser extent depending on the position of follower I1 relative to the upper edges of side walls I2 of compartment I9, slots 26 lie above such upper edges; however, their lowermost portions are at all times below the upper edges of side walls I2. This is apparent from Figures 3 and 4, which show the follower raised to different extents above bottom portion II of compartment I9; even in Figure 4, corresponding to a position of the follower in which ears are in locking engagement with flanges i4, the upper edge of far side wall I2 is visible above the bottom of slot 26. In this position, the distance between bottom flange 2l and bottom portion II of compartment I9 is of maximum height; by the same token, the top portion 29 of the follower projects upward to its maximum extent above punch cards I6.

Cooperating with slots 26 is an actuating rod 21 that is looped or bent upon itself toward the middle thereof to form a U-shaped handle 28, such rod being rotatable about its longitudinal axis through an angular distance somewhat in excess of 90 in response to counterclockwise (upward) or clockwise (downward) movement of handle 28 as seen in Figures 2 to 4. Rod 21 has at each end thereof an integral bell-crank 29 that is headed as at 39, off-set portions SI of bell-cranks 29 immediately adjoining the heads 39 extending parallel to the axis of rotation of rod 21. In certain positions of the follower, olfset portions 3I coact as indicated in Figure 5 with the upper edges of side walls I2 of compartment I9.

Bell-cranks 29 at the ends of rod 21 extend oppositely to handle 2B, so that when handle 28 projects upward, as in Figures 1, 4 and 5, bellcranks 29 extend downward.

Rod 21 is supported in and by a T-shaped sheet-metal bracket 32 that is spot-welded as indicated in Figures 1 and 5 to the body portion I9 of follower I1. Such bracket has a double central web 33 extending rearwardly at right angles to body portion I9 of follower I1 and terminating in two cylindrical bearing portions 34 fitting closely around rod 21. Bearing portions 34 are separated from each other as Shown by a shallow opening 35 in web 33 accommodating handle 28 when the latter is moved into its extreme counterclockwise position (not shown), in which it inclines slightly toward top portion 26 of follower I1.

In this and like positions at or near the limit of counterclockwise movement of handle 28, offset portions 3i are located toward the rearmost portions of slots 26 and the outwardly projecting ends thereof ride on the upper edges of side walls I2 of compartment I9 as best shown in Figure 5. In the position shown in Figure 2, on the other hand, in which handle 28 extends downward at an angle of approximately to body portion I9 and which represents the approximate limit of its clockwise movement, olfset portions 3| are at or near the upper or forward ends of slots 26 and positioned well above the upper edges of side walls I2. Between the extreme positions exemplified by the foregoing are numerous intermediate positions, exemplified by the showing in Fig-ure 3, in which off-set portions 3i are disposed at varying distances between ends of slots 26. When the parts are in such intermediate positions, off-set portions 3| may or may not ride on the upper edges of side walls I2, depending on the circumstances.

By virtue of the frictional engagement of actuating rod 21 and bearing portion 34 and the frictional engagement of off-set portions 3| with the edges of slots 26, rod 21 will remain in the position into which it is rotated by moving handle 28 clockwise or counterclockwise, as the case may be.

In use, the follower I 1, with handle 23 extending downward, is inserted in compartment IIJ by angling the follower as if about a vertical axis to an extent enabling it to clear anges I4, then squaring it in the compartment to cause it to make contact with bottom portion II at least at the trailing edge of bottom iiange 2l, and thereafter adjusting it as necessary so that it extends at right angles to side walls I2, in which position off-set portions 3i of rod 21 clear the upper edges of side walls I2 of compartment I9 as shown in Figure 2. In locating it in its operative position, follower I1 is then grasped at any convenient place and pulled forward with at least the trailing edge of bottom ange 2l in contact with bottom portion iI of compartment I9 until punch cards I6 have been forced together into a solid mass free of slack forward of follower I1; that is to say, into that position in which they do not fall forward or backward but extend substantially vertically, after which the follower as a whole is allowed to drop by gravity until bottom flange 2l makes surface contact with bottom portion II of compartment I9. At this stage, body portion I9 of follower I 'I will be in substantially vertical position with ears 25 on side flanges 23 disposed below channels !5 but out of contact with flanges I4.

If, follower I1 being in its operative position, it is desired to lock the follower in place, handle 26 is moved counterclockwise from the position shown in Figure 2, passingthrough various intermediate positions exemplified by Figure 3. Movement of handle 28 in such oounterclockwise direction is usually accompanied by an upward lift on follower I1: such lift is evidenced by a progressively developing clearance between bottom portion Il and bottom flange 2| which persists, after the operators hand is withdrawn, as a result of the contact that comes about in the meanwhile between off-set portions 3I of rod 21 and the upper edges of side walls I2 of compartment I6. As shown in Figure 3, off-set portions 3I of rod 21 ride loosely on the upper edges of side walls I2 and thereby prevent the follower as a whole from returning to a position in which bottom flange 2I is in contact with bottom portion I i. While in this position, follower I1 cannot readily be removed from compartment I0 due to the fact that ears 25 extend upward for a substantial distance into channels I5 without, however, being in looking engagement with flanges ifi. As previously noted, at this stage off-set portions 3| of bell-cranks 29 are located between the ends of slots 26.

As the counterclockwise movement of handle 28 is continued, rod 21, bell-cranks 29 and offset portions 3l, the latter being guided in and by slots 26, move toward the positions in which these parts are shown in Figures l, 4 and 5. During this time, off-set portions 3| move rearwardly in slots 2S into firmer contact with the upper edges of side walls l2, with the result that follower il is lifted further until ears actually engage llanges it, thereby precluding the possibility of additional upward movement of follower il. At this stage, follower Il is effectively locked against movement in any direction until such time as handle 2li is moved clockwise out of the position indicated in Figures 1, 4 and 5 into a posi-tion in which the parts in engagement with each other are released at least to an extent sufilcient to permit the follower to be relocated. Continued clockwise movement of handle 28 into the position shown in Figure 2 results in releasing the parts to an extent sumcient to permit of complete removal of the follower. In general, the action is the reverse of that above described.

Ordinarily, a downwardly acting force applied to handle 23 manifests itself to some extent, at least, as a rearwardly acting force on body por tion I9 of follower il, urging it into a tilted position more or less as shown in Figure 2. Once in this position, follower i1 may be moved rearwardly within compartment iii until such time as it clears punch cards it. Thereafter, it may be angled as necessary to permit its complete removal. Removal of follower il from the compartment is not ordinarily possible if handle 28 is in an intermediate position; accordingly, if its removal is contemplated, it is desirable -to continue the downward movement of handle 28 until it is at or near the limit of its clockwise movement as shown in Figure 2.

Thus the invention provides a follower for a compartment of the kinds used for storage, nl ing, etc., that is relatively simple in construction but, due to its unusual design, not likely to become bent or warped in use. lt can readily be inserted in or removed from the compartment. Once inserted, it can be located in the compartment without difficulty and without requiring that slack be left forward of the follower in anticipation of its later relocation. The actuating; mechanism itself is simple, sturdy and normally out of the way, thus precluding loss of space such as occurs where the actuating mechanism is bulky or so designed that under normal circun stances it projects into otherwise useable space ,3

within the compartment. As will be apparent, there are few parts that can get out of order and many of the parts reinforce each other o the end of providing a strong, sturdy, rugged device that will stand up well over a l-ong period of use.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. It is thereforeto be understood that the patent is not limited to the preferred form of invention. On the contrary, it is intended that the patent shall cover, by summarization in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty reside in the invention.

I claim:

1. In a filing cabinet, a compartment including a bottom portion; two side walls extending upwardly from the bottom portion, said side walls having inwardly and downwardly turned flanges; a follower in the compartment characterized by an upstanding transverse web and two rearwardly extending side flanges having portions adapted to be received by and to enter into locking engagement with the inwardly and downwardly extending flanges on the side walls of the compartment, said side flanges projecting upwardly above and having arcuate openings at approximately the level of the tops of the side walls of the compartment; and, overlying the inwardly and downwardly extending flanges, a transversely extending actuating rod mounted on the web of the follower for limited rotary movement about its own axis the ends of which rod are offset from such axis, project through the arcuate openings at approximately the level of the tops of the side walls of the compartment for guided movement in an arcuate path in the side flanges of the follower, and bear on the inwardly and downwardly turned flanges on the side walls of the compartment.

2. In a illing cabinet, a compartment including a bottom portion; side walls having longitudinally extending inturned flanges along their top edges, and a cooperating follower comprising a sheet metal member characterized by a transverse body portion; rearwardly directed flanges, one at each end of the body portion, projecting upwardly aboveand provided with arcuate slots at approximately the level of the inturned flanges on the Side walls of the compartment; upwardly facing ears on the rearwardly directed flanges, such ears being located on the sides of the rearwardly directed flanges adjoining the side walls of the compartment at a level enabling them to engage with the longitudinally extending inturned flanges on the side walls of the compartment; a horizontally extending actuating rod mounted on the transverse body portion of the follower` for limited rotary movement about its own axis; and cranks on the actuating rod, one at each end thereof, the outer ends of which cranks are guided for arcuate movement by `and project through the arcuate slots in the rearwardly directed flanges on the body portion of the follower to bear against the top faces of the longitudinally extending inturned flanges on the side walls of the compartment.

3. A filing cabinet as in claim 2 in which the lcwermost portions of the arcuate slots in the rearwardly directed flanges on the body portion of the follower extend below the top faces of the longitudinally extending inturned flanges on the side walls of the compartment.

4. A ling cabinet as in claim 3 in which the arcuate slots in the rearwardly directed flanges on the body portion of the follower extend forwardly and upwardly as seen from the rear of the follower.

5. A Illing cabinet as in claim 4 in which the arcuate slots in the rearwardly directed flanges on the body portion of the follower cover an angular distance not substantially less than HANS W. REGENHARDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,036,515 Ohmstrand Aug. 20, 1912 1,255,031 Hatfield May '1, 1918 1,441,465 Welham Jan. 9, 1923 2,482,099 Cleven et al Sept. 20, 1949 2,501,491 Beno Mar. 21, 1950 'FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 521,921 Great Britain 1940 

